A woman walking her dog was brutally raped by a gang of four men in the west end of Glasgow in the early hours of yesterday.

One of Scotland’s leading academics has been called in to decide the fate of threatened accident and emergency units. Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon yesterday appointed Dr Andrew Walker to head a panel on the future of departments at Monklands in Airdrie and Ayr Hospitals.

A sheriff has called for an improvement in the way prisoners are monitored by police after the death of a man in a cell in Perth. A fatal accident inquiry has concluded George McLellan’s death from drink and drugs in 2005 could have been avoided.

Samaritans leaders have voiced concern over a drop in volunteer numbers as the volume of calls increases. The charity is now looking to recruit hundreds of new volunteers to cope with the growing workload.

The tranquil surroundings at a former Black Isle primary school are in stark contrast to the turmoil suffered on a daily basis by its visitors.

The head of Scotland’s drug enforcement agency has called for a radical shake-up in drugs education in schools. Graeme Pearson of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA) said the system was not working.

On Tuesday this week, the Disability Rights Commission launched the findings of a major review of independent living in Scotland, highlighting the benefits that independent living can offer to people with disabilities.

People of ethnic minority backgrounds in Scotland are more than twice as likely to be victims of crime as others, according to new police figures.

When Sandra is taking methadone she lives her life under a “black cloud”. She closes the curtains and cannot muster the energy to take her eight-year-old twins to the park or play with her two-year-old son.

Major investment over a 15-year period is needed to help hundreds of disabled people trapped in their homes or confined to care, says a new report.